Marcelo Bielsa proved right, centre-back concerns and first impressions of Raphinha - Leeds United Talking Points

By Lee Sobot
Published 20th Oct 2020, 11:38 BST
Updated 20th Oct 2020, 11:54 BST
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AFTER seeing Leeds United fall to their first home defeat of the new Premier League season, Lee Sobot looks at a few key talking points from Monday night's 1-0 loss at home to Wolves.

A costly dip in efficiency

Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa said after United's opening games against Liverpool and Fulham that Leeds would not realistically be able to maintain such high goalscoring efficiency levels.

“This won't be a constant all year. It is very difficult to maintain the efficiency (in front of goal) we have had in these first two games.”

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BRIGHT START: For Leeds United's newest recruit Raphinha who made a positive impression despite being brought on with just eight minutes left in Monday night's 1-0 reverse against Wolves. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.BRIGHT START: For Leeds United's newest recruit Raphinha who made a positive impression despite being brought on with just eight minutes left in Monday night's 1-0 reverse against Wolves. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.
BRIGHT START: For Leeds United's newest recruit Raphinha who made a positive impression despite being brought on with just eight minutes left in Monday night's 1-0 reverse against Wolves. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.

Not that you ever doubted him but once again Bielsa was right and as such, the head coach always knew that shoring up United's defence would be crucial after conceding seven goals in their opening two games.

Having kept a clean sheet in the 1-0 win at Sheffield United and then leaking just one goal in the 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City, Leeds were unlucky not to keep a clean sheet against Wolves with Raul Jimenez's strike only beating Illan Meslier after an enormous deflection off Kalvin Phillips.

But really United had the chances to have still won the game even allowing for that misfortune with the Whites having nine attempts at goal during a dominant first half compared to Wolves' two.

No individual was particularly more guilty of missing chances than any another with probably the best opportunities falling to Helder Costa and Rodrigo who were both very good in the first half.

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But the failure to convert at least one of the opportunities created in not just the first half but the second period too ultimately cost Leeds dear in a game in which they deserved to at least draw though it has to be said Wolves were well on top for most of the second period in a real game of two halves.

Centre-back concerns

Leeds already knew they would be without Diego Llorente for Monday night's encounter and Bielsa admitted in his pre-match press conference that skipper Liam Cooper was also at risk of missing the game with the defensive duo both carrying groin knocks picked up on international duty.

It was therefore a bit of a surprise to see Cooper in the starting XI but even then it proved a false down with the skipper clearly struggling in the warm up and forced to pull out of the match day squad altogether.

That meant a late call for Pascal Struijk to line-up alongside the continually impressing Robin Koch as United fielded the same centre-back pairing that started the season opener at Anfield and the duo performed extremely well.